House approves more money for children's health insurance plan

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT), Peter Urban STAFF WRITER

Published 1:00 am, Wednesday, January 14, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House on Wednesday approved an increase in spending for children's health insurance that proponents hope will be one of the first bills President-elect Barack Obama signs into law after he is sworn in next week.

The bill was approved 289-139, with the entire Connecticut delegation voting in favor. It now goes to the Senate, where passage is expected.

President
George W. Bush
twice vetoed similar bills approved in the 110th Congress.

"With an economy shedding jobs like never before, we have an economic and moral responsibility to cover the most vulnerable among us. In this country, where 9 million children are uninsured, we cannot let another day go by without passing this legislation," said Rep.
Rosa DeLauro
, D-3rd District.

Stratford resident
Tami-Lyn Morse
said that the HUSKY program has been a godsend to her family, who went without insurance for four months after her husband was laid off in February. In June, they began receiving HUSKY insurance and were grateful to have it when their 2-year-old son developed a serious breathing condition.

"Because of HUSKY, I went to the doctor and we caught it early. He is now on the daily medication he needs. I can't even begin to think what would have happened otherwise," she said.

Two-thirds of uninsured children are eligible for coverage through SCHIP or Medicaid. In Connecticut, SCHIP is known as
HUSKY B.
It provides a safety net to thousands of Connecticut children.

But many who are eligible aren't enrolled in the program, said Rep.
Chris Murphy
, D-5th District. The legislation would provide more resources for states to get eligible children enrolled.

"In the richest country in the world, it defies our national conscience to allow any child to go to sleep in his bed sick simply because his parents can't afford to send him to a doctor," Murphy said. "These children don't deserve this fate, and neither do their parents"

The
American Academy of Pediatrics
estimates some 49,000 of Connecticut's 74,000 uninsured children are eligible for HUSKY B assistance, but last month only 13,959 were enrolled.

"The reforms in this bill will give the state of Connecticut a stable and reliable funding source to address the needs of working families," said Rep.
Jim Himes
, D-4th District. "By taking some of the pressure off of the shoulders of modest-income parents and our state governments, this bill helps fulfill our moral obligation to our children."

The measure includes a provision that would expand coverage to children of legal immigrants as well as pregnant immigrants.

Current law requires a five-year waiting period before legal immigrants become eligible for coverage under the two programs.

Supporters say expanding coverage would mean children could get treatment for acute conditions like asthma and diabetes, so they are less likely to need care in an emergency room.

The bill also mandates that states include dental coverage in the program.

SCHIP was created in 1997 to provide health coverage for children in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance.

Some Republicans say expanding the program undermines its original intent to serve low-income families. They noted estimates from the
Congressional Budget Office
that 2.4 million children who currently have private coverage would end up in SCHIP by 2013.

"We must pass legislation that first reaches those who are the most in need of assistance," said Rep.
Phil Gingrey
, R-Ga.